Monday, May 2, 2011

LONDON (AFP) – The crowds outside Buckingham Palace were all begging for Prince William and Kate Middleton to kiss -- but one young bridesmaid's expression showed just what she thought of the whole business.

Three-year-old Grace van Cutsem, the new Duke of Cambridge's goddaughter, covered her ears, leaned on the ledge and stared balefully at the crowd as the royal couple locked lips behind her.

Kate tried to comfort the little girl, whose comedy moment apparently came after she became overwhelmed by the noise of the event as some 500,000 people massed in The Mall outside the palace.

Grace and the other five children who made up Middleton's troupe of bridesmaids and pageboys had otherwise behaved impeccably throughout the wedding service in London's Westminster Abbey.

The only other hiccup was when Eliza Lopes, the three-year-old granddaughter of William's stepmother Camilla, repeatedly fiddled with her floral headdress apparently fearing it would slip off.

"Their quality was superb. Everything was perfection," said one of the well-wishers below, Doris Narty, 74, from Ghana.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Birmingham, Ala (Reuters) – The Alabama Senate approved a measure on Wednesday that would eliminate references to "Jim Crow" or segregationist laws as well as all mentions of race from the state constitution.

The legislation passed in a 22-9 vote, with all Republicans voting in favor after an all-night session, said Republican Senator Jabo Waggoner.

The proposed amendment would eliminate language that calls for separate schools for black and white students and poll taxes, the latter generally viewed as instituted to keep black residents from voting.

"Even though federal laws nullify these old wordings, it remains a black eye on the state," said Cam Ward, another Republican senator.

Some lawmakers have tried for years to rewrite the entire state constitution, which they criticize as outdated and cumbersome.

Written in 1901, the document has 827 amendments and 340,000 words, making it 40 times longer than the U.S. Constitution.

The proposed amendment will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. If signed by the governor, it must go to voters for approval.

A similar bill passed by the Legislature in 2004 was defeated in a statewide vote.